These delicious, crisp gingerbread cookies are full of nourishment especially made wirh maple syrup. During pioneer days, these cookies were snack food for children when they walked long miles to school or for men working in the fields or in the bush. They carried them in their pockets to nibble on. I often replace the molasses with maple syrup.
- 1/2 cup (125 ml) molasses or maple syrup
- 11/2 (7 ml) baking soda
- 1 cup (250 ml) butter or part shortening if needed
- 1 cup (250 ml) brown sugar, lightly packed
- 6 tbsp (90 ml) ground ginger
- 2 tsp (10 ml) ground cloves
- 4 cups (1 L) all-purpose white or part wholewheat flour
- Preheat oven to 325ºF (190ºC).
- Heat the maple syrup or molasses to boiling in a saucepan; add the soda and remove from heat. Watch that the maple syrup or molasses does not foam up over the edge of the saucepan.
- Place the butter in a mixing bowl and pour the hot mixture over it, beating it until butter melts, then mix in the sugar, ginger, cloves and flour. Allow dough to cool.
- Shape the dough into 1-inch (2.5 cm) balls for the cookies. Roll each ball In granulated sugar (optional).
- Place 2 inches (5 cm) apart on greased bake sheet.
- Bake 10 to 15 minutes or until cookies are crisp. Cool on rack.
